The Korean Zombie posts X-ray of shoulder injury, seemingly pulls out of Giga Chikadze fight
Fans of Chan Sung Jung have been left concerned after The Korean Zombie shared the extent of a recent shoulder injury.
'TKZ' last appeared at UFC 273 where he fought Alexander Volkanovski for the featherweight title. The South Korean was outclassed throughout the fight and was eventually TKO'd early into the fourth round.
Many thought it was the end of the road for Chang Sun Jung after his coaches hinted at a possible retirement. However, rumors surfaced in early November that the UFC was working on The Korean Zombie vs. Giga Chikadze. The bout was scheduled for UFC Fight Night 218 in Seoul, South Korea.
Unfortunately, the latest news suggests that the South Korean has certainly been ruled out of fighting in his home country. The injury could even mean the end of his MMA career.
In a post on Instagram, The Korean Zombie wrote [Translated to English]:
"As a result, first speaking, the bone of the shoulder mongoose was dislocated and he was unable to fight in February. As me, who has always said that it's a skill to not be good at injury management.. I feel like I'm still not good enough."
South Korean MMA correspondent John Hyon Ko confirmed the news, also alluding to the injury being serious enough for Chan Sung Jung to force retirement:
"Looks like The Korwan Zombie will not be fighting in Seoul against Giga Chikadze. His shoulder looks to be in bad shape. Not the first time. Could this be the end of the road for Chan Sung Jung?"
Looks like The Korean Zombie will not be fighting in Seoul against Giga Chikadze. His shoulder looks to be in bad shape. Not the first time. Could this be the end of the road for Chan Sung Jung?
When Eugene Bareman said he felt "empathy" for The Korean Zombie during Alexander Volkanovski bout
Following Alexander Volkanovski's dominant performance at UFC 273, his coach, Eugeme Bareman, admitted to feeling sorry for The Korean Zombie. He claimed that he wanted the fight to finish earlier.
Bareman is the founder and head coach of City Kickboxing. He works with a plethora of UFC talents such as 'The Great', Israel Adesanya and Dan Hooker.
Following the Australian's stunning performance, Bareman was asked if he felt any remorse for the South Korean.
Great Stoppage from Herb Dean. Salute to the warrior The Korean Zombie! But Alexander The Great Volkanovski is truly the best.
#UFC273
https://t.co/4NIpV2ENwr
According to the award-winning coach, there's only been a few times in his coaching career that he's asked his fighters to ease up on their opponent. He admitted that this was one of those cases:
“There’s a couple of occasions in my career as a coach, where I’ve even asked my fighter to back off the guy between rounds. That doesn’t happen often, but yeah, sometimes, it’s necessary. So yeah, I definitely feel a bit of empathy for the fighter.”
Catch Eugene Bareman's reaction here: